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Research Institute: NIRA
This research project was designed to assess the U.S. policymaking process from the perspective of Congress and to derive suggestions and recommendations on ways Japan might improve its own policymaking, particularly within the Diet. It was headed by Daniel Bob, who joined NIRA as research advisor in 2002 while he served as a fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations. Mr. Bob formerly worked as a senior staffer for a U.S. Senator who served as Chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee and later the Senate Finance Committee.
Over the course of the last 14 months, a number of U.S. experts have spoken at NIRA-sponsored colloquia as part of the project. The list includes former Ambassador and former Speaker of the House, Thomas Foley; former Senator Nancy Kassebaum Baker; former Chief Trade Counsel in the Senate Finance Committee and current Under Secretary of Commerce, Grant Aldonas; former Chief Counsel of the House Banking Committee and current Director of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (the regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and their $3 trillion secondary mortgage market), Armando Falcon; as well as others who have played significant roles in Congress specifically and U.S. policymaking in general. In addition, three up-and-coming Diet Members who were well-versed in U.S. affaires have participated in the project.
NIRA embarked on this endeavor in response to the critical policy challenges Japan is facing - challenges over which Japan must make difficult choices in coming months and years. To give but a few examples, Japan must address the needs of an aging society, finish the task of fixing its banking system, better define the country's international role in a post-9/11 world, and help find a solution to the security threats posed by North Korea.
In the midst of these challenges, Japan's politics and policymaking are themselves undergoing significant change. It seems possible that Japan is headed toward a viable two-party system in which policies begin to define the major parties as much as - perhaps even more than - pure politics. Moreover, with bureaucrats having lost substantial amounts of influence in recent years, politicians now find themselves having the chance to wield greater policymaking leverage. Indeed, a number of younger Members of the Diet have seized the opportunity and sought to define themselves as policy experts rather than old-style politicians.
If the Diet is to assume a more prominent role in Japan's policymaking process in the future, the parliament will need to make adjustments. Discussion and debate over changes have commenced, but the Diet has yet to take actions that have substantially altered the way it conducts business.
NIRA hopes that its project makes a contribution toward more effective policymaking in Japan, and provides both background and ideas for those discussing an enhanced the role for the Diet.
[Symposium/Lecture]
2004 Northeast Asia Economic Conference/Northeast Asia Economic Forum
The 2004 Northeast Asia Economic Conference/Northeast Asia Economic Forum was held in Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture on February 2-3. This was the 14th time that the conference had been held in Niigata under the auspices of Niigata Prefecture, Niigata City, and the Economic Research Institute for Northeast Asia (ERINA). This year, NIRA and the Northeast Asia Economic Forum, an NGO based in the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, co-hosted the conference.
Central and local government officials, experts, and representatives of industry from nations in the region including South Korea, Mongolia, Russia and China, participated in the conference. In addition, there were participants from the United States and the UNDP Tumen (Tumen River Area Development Programme) Secretariat. A total of approximately 500 participants developed broad arguments concerning regional cooperation in Northeast Asia. The details on this conference will be on 'NIRA Newsletter No.5 June' and on the web shortly.
[NIRA Research Report (Japanese)]
Possibilities for Utilizing Clean Development Mechanisms in China
- Forthcoming at the end of April, 2004
Because of sharp economic growth, energy consumption in China continues to increase. To solve the related environmental issues, measures such as the improvement of energy utilization technologies and fuel conversion are indicated. However, there is a ceiling to the measures that China can implement alone. Therefore, it would be beneficial to utilize the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which was established within a global framework and has the benefit of access to the technology and capital of advanced nations, and can support environmental measures.
In this publication, the Energy Research Institute, State Development Planning Commission of China displays a frankness towards the CDM and examines qualitatively and quantitatively the possibilities for implementing specific CDM projects. This publication will be a valuable resource in examining the CDM in China.
South Korea's Energy and Environmental Issues towards Northeast Asia's Sustainable Development in the Twenty-First Century
- Forthcoming at the end of April, 2004
Policies aimed at responding to energy and environmental issues facing the Northeast Asian region will bear limited results as long as they are designed and adopted at the state level. Growing attention is presently drawn to the role played by South Korea because the nation lies between Japan and China in terms of economic condition, energy consumption maturity and environmental policies. However, few basic research projects have been conducted to date to comprehensively analyze South Korea's energy and environmental issues.
This research report edited by the Korea Energy Economics Institute analyzes the present status of the nation's energy supply and demand, and the environment as well as the energy and environmental issues facing the nation and the policies adopted in response. In addition, the report explains South Korea's stance toward acquiring environmental technologies and realizing environmental cooperation. This report will serve as a beneficial resource for those seeking basic information about South Korea and/or the nation's energy and environmental policies.
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